Machine for removing painted markings from pavement



June 13, 1961 M. H. FELDMAN ET-AL 2,937,741

MACHINE FOR REMOVING PAINTED MARKINGS FROM PAVEMENT Filed Nov. 13. 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IiW ENTOR: MARSHALL H. FELDMAN HARRY W FELDMAN wf w A 7' TORNEYS June 1961 M. H. FELDMAN EI'AL 2,987,741

MACHINE FOR REMOVING PAINTED MARKINGS FROM PAVEMENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed NOV. 13. 1956 MM S a E WFE m wm m l l L 09 SA mH M w. a L m: I m: I I 5%. mm 6m 3 .4] I m: o: mm 5 Q 2 i mm A 7 TORNE rs June 13, 1961 M. H. FELDMAN ET AL MACHINE FOR REMOVING PAINTED MARKINGS FROM PAVEMENT Filed Nov. 13, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS MARSHALL H. FELDMAN HARRY W FELDMAN ATTORNEYS United StateS Patent 2 987 741 MACHINE FOR nnixrovmo PAINTED MARK- INGS FROM PAVEMENT Marshall H. Feldman, 2603 Los Coches Ave., San Jose, Calif., and Harry W. Feldman, Twenty-Nine Palms, Calif. (572 Thornton Way, San Jose, Calif.)

Filed Nov. 13, 1956, Ser. No. 621,793 Claims. (Cl. -4)

The present invention relates to a machine for removing painted trafl'lc markings from street and highway pavement.

In the United States it is customary to paint a pair of parallel stripes down the center of a street or highway to divide the traflic flowing in opposite directions thereon. It is also customary, where the width of the street or highway permits it, to divide each side of the street or highway into trafiic lanes by additional stripes painted on the pavement.

Additional markings also are widely used in city streets to designate parking spaces and for other special purposes.

In an attempt to cope with the ever increasing flow of automobile traffic in the United States, streets and highways are constantly being changed and widened, and duplicate highways frequently are laid alongside existing highways so that each part can then handle traflic flowing only in one direction. Present two way streets are being changed to one-way streets; present parking spaces are being changed or eliminated. These and other changes call for a constant changing of highway stripes and other markings.

In the past, various methods and mechanisms have been used in an attempt to satisfactorily remove existing highway markings, but up to the present time the preferred means for doing this has been by sandblasting.

While sandblasting effectively removes the highway markings, it sometimes causes some damage to the pavement therebeneath, particularly on hot days on pavement having a bituminous binder.

Furthermore, sandblast removal of highway markings is quite slow and expensive.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a simple and effective machine for removing painted highway markings.

The invention also provides a machine which first softens the binding material of the paint of a highway stripe or other marking, and then effectively removes the stripe from the pavement by brushing.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a machine embodying the invention, a paint softening burner being shown in solid lines in lowered, operative condition, and in broken lines in elevated, transporting condition, portions being broken away.

FIG. 2 is a plan elevational view of the machine shown in FIG. 1.

. FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, perspective view of a tuft of wire from the wire brush used in the machine of FIGS.

Briefly, a machine A embodying the invention comprises a wheeled support, such as the chassis 10, having a butane burner 11 adjustably mounted on its forward end, with a pair of flame retaining side plates 12 and 13 mounted one on each side thereof.

A rotary wire brush 14 is mounted on the chassis 10 to follow in train behind the burner 11. The brush is spring-pressed axially downwardly into the pavement B,

"ice

and is rotatably driven by a suitable prime mover such as a gasoline engine 15.

A brush control lever 17 is provided to move the spring pressed brush 14 into and out of operative engagement with the pavement.

Referring to the drawings in detail, the chassis 10 comprises an inverted, box-like body 18, open at the bottom and closed at the top, and consisting of side walls 19, front wall 20, rear wall 22 and top plate 23. Four support wheels 24 are journaled 0n stub axles 25 secured to project outwardly from the side walls of the body 18, which is supported by the wheels in slightly raised condition from the pavement B. A flexible curtain shield which may be of canvas is attached around the lower edge of the body 10 to seal the space between the body and the pavement against the emergence of flying particles of sand and gravel thrown out by the brush.

It is not necessary that any of the supporting wheels be dirigible, since in ordinary use the vehicle is moved straight ahead along a traflic stripe or marker to be removed. The entire machine is not heavy, and it is a simple matter to change direction when necessary by skidding either the front or back wheels to one side or the other, or by tilting the vehicle either forwardly or rearwardly as desired to raise one pair of wheels from the pavement.

If it were necessary to have an easily steered vehicle, as for example one for use principally in removing lettering or numerals from pavement, it would of course be a simple matter to replace either the front or rear wheels, as desired, by conventional swiveled caster wheels (not shown).

A pair of rocker blocks 28 are provided on the lower corners of the rear wall 22, so that when changing or inspecting the brush 14 the device may be rocked back onto these blocks without damage to the body.

The butane burner 11 is of a Well-known type for projecting a jet of flame axially therefrom. It includes a perforated shield 19 surrounding a nozzle (not shown) for supplying combustion air to the burner. The burner 11 is mounted on the forward end of an arm 30 which is journaled at its rear end on a rod 32, pivotally mounted to extend transversely across within the front portion of the chassis body 18. The burner support arm 30 projects forwardly through an opening 33 in the body front wall 20, and is secured in pivotally adjusted position on the rod 32 by a clamp screw (not shown) similar to a clamp screw 34 which secures a side plate support arm 35 (FIG. 1) in adjusted condition on the rod 32.

The two flame retaining side plates 12 and 13 are mounted on arms 35 and 37, respectively, so as to be free for limited sliding movement transversely thereof. Each side plate is provided with a pair of slotted holes 38 and 39 through which are inserted the shanks of a pair of machine screws 40 and 41, respectively. These screws are screwed into threaded holes provided therefor in the support arms 35 and 37. The screws 40 and 41 have a free fit in the slotted holes 38 and 39, so as to allow the plates to ride, runner like, on the pavement when the arms 35 and 37 are in their downwardly swung, operative position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. The forward and rearward corners 42 and 43 of the side plates 12 and 13 are rounded slightly to ride over small obstructions and irregularities on the pavement.

The rotative position of the burner and side plate support rod 32, and the burner and flame retaining support arms 30, 35 and 37 mounted thereon, is controlled by an upwardly extending lever 44, the lower end of which is secured to the rod 32. In the forward, solid line position of the lever 44, as shown in FIG. 1, the burner 11 and flame retaining side plates 12 and 13 are t 3 swung downwardly to operative condition. However, when the lever 44 is swung rearwardly to its broken line position of FIG. 1, the burner and side plates are swung upwardly to their non-operative, broken line condition of FIG. 1. g

The burner and plate control lever 44 is of relatively thin, flat, spring steel, and is formed so that it normally has a slight resilient urge toward the left, thereby tending to move it into a forward retaining notch 45 (FIG. 2) or a rearward retaining notch 47 when opposite either thereof.

The brush 14 comprises a wooden back disc 48 into which wire tufts 49 are fitted. The wooden disk 48 is backed by a metal backing plate 50. An annular recess 52 is provided marginally around a central hole 53 in the combined back disc 48 and metal plate 50, and a resiliently flexible support disc 54 of suitable material, such as rubber belting, is secured in this recess by bolts 55.

Each tuft 49 (FIG. 4) comprises a plurality of strands 57 of crimped flat wire preferably of spring steel. The upper end portion 58 of each tuft 49 is twisted together as shown in FIG. 4, which stiffens the tufts and causes the wires thereof to be presented to the pavement at different angles as the tufts are swept around by the rotation of the brush 14.

The brush 14 is mounted on the reduced lower end portion 59 of a rotatively driven spindle 60, which is fitted into a hole provided therefor centrally of the flexible disk 54. The disk 54 is clamped between a pair of steel washers 62 and 63 by a nut 64 screwed onto the threaded lower end of the spindle. The spindle is journaled in a lower ball bearing 65 in the lowermost oneof a pair of bearing support members 67 and 68, and an upper ball bearing 66 in the uppermost one of said bearing support members. The bearing support members 67 and 68 are secured, in axially aligned, interfitted relation, on opposite sides of the body top plate 23 by bolts 71.

A grease seal 69 is mounted beneath the lower ball bearing 65, and the space between the lower end of the lower bearing support member 67 and the spindle 60 is closed by an annular plate 70, secured by screws 70a to the lower end of thelower bearing support member 67.

A quill 72 is mounted for axial slidable movement in the upper bearing support member 68, and is held against rotative displacement therein by a Woodruff key 73 riding in a keyway 74 provided therefor in the upper bearing support member 68.

The spindle 60 is urged axially downward by a compression spring 75 which surrounds the projecting lower portion of the spindle 60 and is held in compression between a pair of ball thrust bearings 67 and 68 which bear on the upper brush washer 63 and the closure plate 70, respectively. A top thrust ball bearing 79 is provided between the upper end of the quill 72 and a stop collar '80 which is secured to the spindle 60 by a set screw '82 to prevent downward displacement of the spindle relative to the quill.

A short rack segment 83 is secured by screws 84 to the side of the quill 72 above the upper bearing support member 66, and is in toothed engagement with a brush elevating pinion segment 85 journaled on a bolt 87 screwed into a threaded hole provided therefor in a support bracket 88, and secured in adjusted position therein by a lock nut 87a. The bracket 88 is mounted on the body top plate 23.

For releasably retaining the brush 14 in elevated condition when not in use, a ratchet disc 89 is secured by a weld 90 (FIG. 2).to the upright bracket 88. Laterally projecting ratchet teeth 92 on the disc 89 are engaged by an oppositely extending single tooth 93 provided therefor on the side of the pinion segment 85 facing the ratchet disc, A coil spring 94 is mounted in slight compression between the pinion segment 85 and the head 95 of the pinion mounting bolt 87.

The brush control lever 17 is fixedly secured to the pinion segment 85, and extends upwardly and rearwardly g 4 therefrom to be within reach of an operator, not shown, walking along behind the machine. By swinging the control lever 17 downwardly to its broken line position of FIG. 3 the brush will be raised free from operative engagement with the pavement. -By moving the handle 17 and the pinion segment 85 therewith bodily to the'left against the pressure of the spring 94 to the broken line position of FIG. 2, the teeth 93 on the pinion segment will be freed from the teeth 92 on the ratchet disc 89. This permits a coil return spring 97, mounted in tension between the brush control lever 17 and the upper end of the bracket 88, to swing the lever 17 and the pinion segment 85 to their solid line position of FIG. 3, thereby allowing the spring 75 to urge the brush 14 downwardly into operative engagement with the pavement.

A V-grooved pulley 98 is secured by a key 99 to the upper end of the spindle 60 above the stop collar 80, and is driven by a V-belt 100 passing around a drive pulley 102 of the engine, which preferably is governor controlled in a well known manner.

A butane storage tank 103 is secured by retaining bands 104 and bolts 105 to the body 18 along one side thereof. A gas supply line from the tank 103 to the burner 11 may comprise usual control mechanism including a pressure gauge 107, shut-off cock 108, pressure regulator 109 and throttle valve 110. A first hose 112 conducts the gas from the pressure regulator 109 to the throttle valve 110, and a second hose 113 conducts the gas from the throttle valve to the inlet side of the burner 11.

A pushing handle 114 is provided on the rear end of the body 18 and comprises an upright tubular portion 115 welded at 116 to the body portion, and an upper cross bar 117 on the upper end of the portion 115. The throttle valve 110 is secured to the upright handle portion 115 by a clamp band 118 and screws 119.

In preparing the machine for use, the tank 103 is filled with a suitable gas, for example propane. The shut-off cock 108 then is opened, and the throttle valve 110 is opened slightly to allow a flow of gas sufiicient to permit igniting the burner, which is then ignited.

For transporting the machine A to an initial point of use, the burner and side plate control lever 44 is pressed laterally to free it from its forward notch 45, and then is swung to its rearward broken line position of FIG. 1 to swing the burner 11 and the flame retaining side plates 12 and 13 away from the pavement to their broken line position of FIG. 1. The brush 14 also may be raised clear of the pavement by swinging the brushcontrol lever 17 downwardly to its broken line position of FIG. 3, in which position it will be retained by engagement of the pinion segment 85 with the ratchet disc 89. The engine 15 then is started in a usual manner to rotate the brush 14.

The machine A then may be trundled to a desired starting point, and the burner 11 and brush 14 aligned with a traffic marker for example, a painted center stripe or trafiic lane dividing stripe (not shown) which is to be removed. The lever 40 then is swung to its'forward oper- V ative position shown in solid lines in FIG. 1 to lower the burner 11 into pavement heating condition, which action also drops the flame retaining side plates 12 and 13 into position where they will ride runner-like on the pavement.

The brush control lever 17 also is released and swung upwardly to its operative, solid line position of FIG. 3, which allows the brush to drop into spring pressed engagement with the pavement. The burner throttle valve 110 then is turned up to full operating position, and the machine is trundled along the traflic marking to be removed.

The flame from the burner 11 heats the paint of the trafiic marking, softening the binder thereof, whereupon the wire brush 14, following closely in train, completely brushes away the thus softened traffic marking. The resilient mounting of the brush provided by the flexible disk 54 allows the brush to rotate in full supported contact with the pavement, and to compensate for any unevenness in its surface.

Although the illustrated machine is designed for use by an operator walking along the pavement, it is obvious that by providing increased or multiple burners, and larger or additional brushes, the speed of the operation could be increased almost without limit. In any event it is obvious that by conventional design methods any routine machine designer may readily design an embodiment of the invention capable of performing its function at normal highway traflic speeds of, for example, fifty miles an hour.

While we have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it will be understood however, that various changes and modifications may be made in the details thereof without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims.

We claim:

1. A machine for removing painted trafiic markings from pavement comprising a wheeled support, a flame projecting burner mounted on said support and positioned to direct a flame therefrom downwardly onto a traffic marking painted on a pavement and along which the wheeled carrier is moved for softening the paint of the marking, flame retaining means mounted on each side of the burner for retaining flame from the burner against lateral spreading, and thereby limiting the effect of the flame to substantially the portion of pavement upon which is painted a trafiic marking to be removed, a wire brush mounted for rotation in pavement engaging position directly rearwardly of and close to the burner relative to a forward movement of the wheeled carrier, thereby to engage the traific marking while the pavement therebeneath is still heated by the flame and power drive means operatively connected to the brush to drive the brush transversely across such heated marking for removing the latter from a pavement on which the machine is supported during a forward movement of the machine.

2. A machine for removing painted trafic markings from pavement comprising a wheeled support, heating means mounted on said support and positioned to heat a traflic marking on a pavement along which the wheeled carrier is moved for softening the paint of the marking, means for limiting the heating effect of said heating means to substantially the width of such marking, a brush mounted in pavement engaging position directly rearwardly of and close to the heating means relative to a forward movement of the wheeled carrier, power drive means operatively connected to the brush to move the brush transversely across such marking for removing such heat softened marking from a pavement on which the machine is supported during a forward movement of the machine.

3. A machine for removing painted traflic markings from pavement comprising a wheeled support, a burner mounted on said support and positioned to direct a flame therefrom downwardly onto a traflic marker painted on a pavement along which the wheeled carrier is moved, flame retaining means mounted on each side of the burner for retaining flame from the burner against lateral spreading substantially beyond such marking, thereby to heatsoften such marking, control means operatively connected to the burner and flame retaining means for limiting said flame laterally to substantially the width of a traflic marking to be removed, means for elevating the flame retaining means clear of the pavement for nonoperating transport of the machine, a rotary wire brush mounted for rotation in pavement engaging condition directly rearwardly of and close to the burner, and transversely across a traflic marker heated by the burner, control means operatively connected to the brush for elevat ing it clear of the pavement, and power drive means operatively connected to the brush to rotate the brush transversely across a heat-softened marking for removing the latter from a pavement on which the machine is supported during a forward movement of the machine.

4. A machine for removing painted traflic markings from pavement comprising a body portion closed at its sides and top and open on its under side, support wheels supporting the body portion in slightly elevated condition from a horizontal supporting surface, heating means mounted on said body portion and positioned to heat an area on such supporting surface ahead of the body porion in a forward movement of the body portion for softening the paint of a painted marking on an underlying supporting pavement, a brush mounted within the body portion in pavement engaging position directly rearwardly of and close to the heating means relative to a forward movement of the body portion, means for controlling downward pressure of the brush, and power drivemeans operatively connected to move the brush relative to the marking for removing a heat softened painted marking from a pavement on which the machine is supported during a forward movement of the machine.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4 wherein a flexible shield is secured to depend below the lower marginal edge of the body portion, the shield being of a length to close the space between the body and a supporting surface to prevent the emergence through such space of flying particles cast out by the brush.

6. A machine for removing painted traflic markings from pavement comprising a body portion closed at its sides and top and open on its under side, support wheels supporting the body portion in slightly elevated condition from a horizontal supporting surface, heating means mounted on said body portion and positioned to heat a traflic marking on a pavement along which the wheeled carrier is moved for softening the paint of the marking, a bearing mounted in axially upright condition on the housing, a brush support spindle journaled in the bearing and extending into the housing, a brush mounted on the lower end of the spindle directly rearwardly of and close to the heating means, and drive means mounted on the body portion and operatively connected to the spindle, rotat-- ably to drive the brush for removing a softened painted marking from a pavement on which the machine is supported during a forward movement of the machine.

7. A machine for removing painted traflic markings from pavement comprising a body portion closed at its sides and top and open on its under side, wheels supporting the body portion in slightly elevated condition from a horizontal supporting surface, heating means mounted on said body portion and positioned to heat an area on a supporting surface ahead of the body portion during a forward movement of the latter for softening the paint of a painted marking on a supporting pavement, a rotary brush mounted within the body portion in pavement engaging condition directly rearwardly of and close to the heating means, and power drive means mounted on the body portion and operatively connected to rotatively drive the brush transversely of a painted marking heat-softened by the heating means for removing such softened marking from a pavement during a forward movement of the machine.

8. A machine for removing painted traflic markings from pavement comprising a body portion closed at its sides and top and open on its under side, wheels supporting the body portion in slightly elevated condition from a horizontal supporting surface, heating means mounted on said body portion and positioned to heat an area on a supporting surface ahead of the body portion during a forward movement of the latter for softening the paint of a painted marking on a supporting pavement, a flat, annular, rotary brush mounted within the body portion and directly rearwardly of and close to the heating means,

ans-7,741

bristles on said brush directed downwardly, means for moving the brush vertically to move the brush bristles into and out of brushing engagement with a supporting surface therebeneath, and to control the pressure of the brush on such supporting surface, and power drive means operatively connected to rotate the brush for removing heat-softened marking from a pavement on which the machine is supported.

9. An arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the brush has an annular body portion, having a concentric,

central opening therein, and a flexible disk is secured transversely of the central opening of the body portion, a hole being provided centrally of the disk for securing a drive spindle thereto. 7

10. An arrangement according to claim 8 wherein the brush has an annular backing portion, means for securing the brush in driven relation on a spindle, and a plurality of crimped wire bristles of flat, spring metal wire set into one side of the annular backing portion to project laterally therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cameron ;..e...' Apr. 2, 1901 Sibbald Sept. 6, 1904 Rasmesen Apr. 4, 1916 Potter Jan. 13, 1920 Harris July 14, 1925 Alvarado Nov. 13, 1928 Douglas Oct. 7, 1930 Porterfield .4. July 28, 1936 Thompson Sept. 13, 1938 Fitzgerald et al. June 18, 1940 Evans Apr. 1, 1941 Sweeney Oct. 14, 1941 Maresca Jan. 5, 1954 Nesbit July 6, 1954 Peterson Nov. 8, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain June 13 1917 

